Political parties’ reactions and protests against the US attack.
Political parties’ reactions and protests against the US attack.
The US intervention in Venezuela and the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro have become the top political issue in Türkiye.
Television channels, newspapers, social media, politicians, and the public are following developments minute by minute and debating them intensely.
Below, we outline the most prominent statements, debates, and developments in Türkiye in 14 points.
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1) Erdoğan’s silence
Hours after Maduro was abducted, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended an event titled “Announcement of the 2025 Export Figures.” However, in his speech there, he made no reference whatsoever to what had happened in Venezuela. What stood out in his speech was not what Erdoğan said, but what he chose not to say.
Many politicians, analysts, and journalists drew attention to the strong ties between Türkiye and Venezuela, and to the fact that Maduro was one of the first leaders to call Erdoğan after the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. Erdoğan had publicly acknowledged and thanked him for.
Against this backdrop, Erdoğan’s silence was interpreted by critics as “disloyaltı,” “fear of the US,” and the outcome of deals with Washington.
2) Presidential Chief Adviser deletes his post
Presidential Chief Adviser Cemil Ertem posted a message on social media saying, “We stand with President Maduro! This act of banditry must not go unpunished.” Shortly afterward, Ertem deleted the post.
This move reinforced the same interpretations already circulating about Erdoğan’s silence on the issue.
3) The Foreign Ministry’s statement
Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a written statement on the developments. It read as follows:
“We are closely monitoring the recent developments in Venezuela. Türkiye attaches importance to the stability of Venezuela and to the peace and well-being of the Venezuelan people.
In order to prevent the current situation from leading to negative consequences for regional and international security, we call on all parties to act with restraint. We stand ready to make any constructive contribution toward resolving the crisis in Venezuela within the framework of international law.
In this process, our Embassy in Caracas continues uninterrupted communication and necessary coordination with our citizens in the country.”
The Foreign Ministry’s statement was criticized for failing to take a clear stance and for “saying nothing of substance”.
4) Presidential Adviser Mehmet Uçum: “Imperialist rogue state”
Unlike President Erdoğan, Presidential Chief Adviser Cemil Ertem, and the Foreign Ministry, another presidential adviser, Mehmet Uçum, described the US as an “imperialist rogue state.” Uçum pinned the following statement on X:
Crime Against Maduro!
1. The Maduro case is a brutal example showing that imperialist aggression can be carried out using the methods of a rogue state.
2. It is an act that once again exposes the complete collapse of international law, global institutions, and the UN. In other words, it is once again understood that the seeming international system has been entirely eliminated by imperialist crimes.
3. The Maduro case strikingly shows that in today’s world, there is only the reality of raw power struggles. No rules or institutions can limit aggressive powers, and the only option is force-based resistance against imperialist aggression.
4. It demonstrates to the world that, regardless of the area, the only way of survival is to counter power with power. There is no alternative.
5. This case proves once again that the ultimate aim of imperialist aggression is to dominate the world’s resources, particularly energy. To achieve this, the inhumane imperialist mindset sees every form of lawlessness, cruelty, and immorality legitimate. Continuing to frame such acts as matters of “rights and freedoms” is nothing but serving as an ideological lackey for imperialism.
6. Nation-states face ontological threats on multiple fronts. The Maduro case has made the threat of the “imperialist rogue state” clearly visible. Today, more than ever, it is necessary to strengthen anti-imperialist struggles and reinforce cooperation among nation-states. There is no other option left.
5) CHP leader: “You’re silent because you fear Trump”
The focus of CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Özgür Özel’s statement was Erdoğan’s silence. Özel accused Erdoğan of remaining quiet because he feared Trump. His statement read:
“You used to say, ‘Maduro was the first to call me on July 15, 2016. You would call him ‘my brother Maduro,’ tell him to stand tall, and send support. When Maduro held unfair elections or treated his own people unjustly, you still stood by him, calling him ‘my brother.’ You were wrong then.
But now, your friend Trump came, violated international law, and grabbed your brother Maduro from his bedroom, handcuffed, bound, and taken away. And now you stay silent in the face of that image.
When you were supposed to defend democracy, you defended Maduro. Now, when you should defend the international order, you support Trump’s coup in another country with your silence.
Because you fear the Trump you depend on. This is your democracy, your friendship, and your brotherhood!”
6) Former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu: “We stand where we stood on July 15”
Many politicians, opinion leaders, and analysts drew parallels between the US’ intervention in Venezuela and the failed coup attempt in Türkiye on July 15, 2016.
Süleyman Soylu, who served as interior minister between August 2016 and June 2023 and remains one of the AKP’s most prominent figures, posted on X: “We stand where we stood on July 15!”
Presidential adviser Mehmet Uçum retweeted Soylu’s tweet.
7) Bahçeli: “The same method as July 15”
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the AKP’s coalition partner, was also among those who likened the US attack in Venezuela to what Türkiye experienced on July 15, 2016.
Bahçeli issued the following statement:
“The US military intervention in Venezuela and its unlawful and illegitimate attempt to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power is a familiar and well-known conspiracy for us.
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The method used today against Maduro is identical to the despicable attempt directly targeting our President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while he was in Marmaris during the July 15, 2016 coup attempt carried out by FETÖ. But the US failed to achieve its objective in the face of the will of the Turkish nation.”
8) Former CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu: “The enemy is at our door”
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who served as chairman of the CHP from May 2010 to November 2023 and continues to wield influence within the party, said “Imperialism has shown its true face. Yesterday in Iraq, Libya, and the Middle East, and today in Venezuela.”
Warning of efforts to encircle Türkiye, he invoked the War of Independence led by Atatürk. His statement read:
“How far away is the enemy from our door!
My friends, I do not wish to beat the drums of war, but a new world order is being established.
Unfortunately, this new order is not being shaped by science, culture, technology, or art, but by wars and shifting borders.
The US abducting the president of Venezuela with a military operation, trampling on the honor of the Venezuelan people and disregarding all international law, represents the most dangerous face of imperialism.
Imperialism has revealed its true face: yesterday in Iraq, Libya, the Middle East, and today in Venezuela.
No country’s destiny can be drawn according to Washington’s energy calculations.
The reason behind this US operation is obvious. What concerns us even more, however, is what comes next.
The imperialists, through the military bases they have established; to our north in Georgia,
to our south in Jordan, to our west in Bulgaria and Greece, to our east in Iraq and Syria,
in the Mediterranean, in Southern Cyprus, along with their war fleets deployed in international waters, and with their collaborators in the Middle East, are once again, a hundred years later, at the doorstep of our country and our region.
A hundred years ago, when the great powers were at our door, we made a solemn vow to one another. Now is the time to remember that vow in the deepest sense.
On this 783,000-square-kilometer homeland, the one and only state of all our citizens, whose beliefs and identities we respect, and who are bound to the Republic of Türkiye by citizenship, is the Republic of Türkiye.
My brothers and sisters, colonial powers do not come to bring democracy, freedom, independence, or a life of prosperity. They come to seize your lives and property, to plunder your resources, to settle historical scores, to turn your children and youth into their slaves.
They do not care about your faith or your nationality.
They are insatiable and never satisfied.
The time has come to don the armor of national brotherhood and to bind ourselves to one another more tightly than ever before.”
9) Good Party leader: The importance of popular consent
Good Party leader Musavat Dervişoğlu chose to issue a statement that doesn’t confront the US, but instead warns those governing Türkiye. His statement read:
“As the world is rapidly being pushed toward a state where rules and institutions no longer matter, we have once again seen how vital it is to safeguard our Republican state and our national identity.
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The strength of a state is proportional to the strength of its institutions and its rules.
A country’s most vital defense system is not politics based on partisanship, but politics grounded in broad social consent.
A government that submits to the shared will of the nation will have no need to bow to any other power.
I hope that those governing Türkiye act with this awareness.”
10) Vatan Party leader: “Trump is following Hitler’s footsteps, and he will share Hitler’s fate”
Vatan Party leader Doğu Perinçek said that Trump has “put on Hitler’s boots on four different fronts across the world.” Drawing attention to the contradictions both within the US and with its allies, Perinçek argued that Türkiye must “take a stand as a frontline country,” and that the only solution capable of preventing war is an alliance of “Türkiye, Russia, Iran, and China.”
His statement was as follows:
Trump is following Hitler’s footsteps, and he will share Hitler’s fate: The bandit cannot rule the world
Trump, the chief of U.S. imperialism, has now put on Hitler’s boots on four fronts: Ukraine, Palestine, Venezuela and Iran.
New fronts could emerge at any moment: the Eastern Mediterranean and Taiwan. There is also Trump’s domestic front. He is confronting both his European allies and his own people at home, where deep contradictions are sharpening and moving toward open conflict. Trump says Europe is a collapsing civilization. European globalists, meanwhile, say that ‘Pax Americana’ is over.
The US economy is no longer the world’s largest. In 1950, the US produced half of the world’s output; today its share is only around 16 percent. The People’s Republic of China has overtaken the US economy and continues its miracle.
A strategic view to foresee the future
Trump’s aggression should not be assessed through temporary fluctuations, but through long-term strategic processes. There are no successes or victories awaiting Trump. A bandit cannot rule the world. Trump will share Hitler’s fate.
Türkiye is a frontline country
Today, Türkiye is a frontline country in the struggle against US imperialism and Israeli Zionism. For this reason, Türkiye stands at the center of every confrontation between Trump’s banditry and the world’s states and peoples.
The Republic of Türkiye has assumed the responsibility of being a frontline state. Türkiye cannot remain a bystander in Venezuela and Iran. We stand shoulder to shoulder with a resisting Venezuela. We do not recognize the sanctions on Iran. Türkiye must immediately move toward free economic relations with its neighbor Iran. Iran is not only our energy security, but also our homeland security.
Venezuela and Iran have a bright future ahead of them. Trump’s future, however, is dark. Trump has taken Hitler’s bloody path. Hitler, too, entered the world stage with acts of banditry. Everyone knows his fate.
The only solution capable of preventing war in our region and stopping the conflict from escalating into a world war, is an alliance of Türkiye, Russia, Iran, and China.
11) Protests
There were protests and solidarity actions right after the US intervention.
The Vatan Party held a press statement in front of the US Embassy in Ankara. Utku Reyhan, the party’s Ankara provincial head, declared:
“The rogue state US cannot subdue heroic Venezuela. The US and Israel are not only targeting Venezuela, Iran, and Gaza, they are also targeting our country.”
Reyhan also criticized the Turkish government’s silence:
“If you claim Türkiye is a strong country, then don’t just talk, take action! Say clearly: ‘We stand with Venezuela against US aggression. We reject this banditry.’”
Another protest was organized by the Turkish Communist Party (TKP). At the demonstration in front of the US Embassy, TKP Ankara Provincial Head Ali Ufuk Arıkan described the US as “an imperialist rogue gang.” He said:
“They claim the Venezuelan leader is part of a drug cartel. If these bandits want to see drug cartels, they should first look at the clowns inside the building called the White House.
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We are aware of their real objective. Their targets are the peoples who refuse to bow. Their targets include socialist Cuba, which upholds humanity with dignity right next door, and the poor Venezuelan people led by Chavez, who expelled oil monopolies from their country.”
TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan made a statement:
“It is no surprise that the AKP government has not reacted to what happened in Venezuela and merely says ‘we are closely monitoring.’ The period of tension-filled negotiations with the West is over. The government has already made clear that even on its most difficult issues, it will act in concert with the US. This is the unbearable lightness of being an ally of the powerful.
But why is such a hypocritical line in foreign policy not widely questioned? One answer is the fact that CHP leader Özgür Özel who condemns the AKP’s silence on Venezuela is also a NATO supporter, and never stops complaining about the EU elites for not supporting the opposition in Türkiye.
The government and the opposition shift positions from time to time, accusing each other of being pro-American, yet in reality there is consistency and continuity in the system: it doesn’t cease to generate NATO loyalty and pro-Americanism.”
The Turkish Workers’ Party (TİP) also held a protest at the US Embassy in Ankara. In their statement, the party said:
“In the face of this aggression, which violates international law and the sovereignty of nations, we call on working people in Türkiye and around the world to rise up and strengthen solidarity.
Türkiye’s rulers may be friends with Trump, but we declare that our people stand in friendship and solidarity with the people of Venezuela.”
12) US’s eye is on oil
In Türkiye, as in much of the world, the strategic importance of oil was mentioned as a key reason behind the US intervention in Venezuela. For example, economist Bartu Soral said in a TV program:
“The US’s sole aim is to bring Venezuela’s oil under its control. For instance, the US never talks about living conditions in Saudi Arabia. Leaders in Iraq and Libya, who refused to hand over their oil to imperialism, were also overthrown.
But we should not forget that the Republic of Türkiye was founded through the War of Independence in resistance to imperialism. Türkiye is inherently anti-imperialist and committed to full-independence.”
13) Those openly or timidly rejoicing
Some expressed their joy at the US attack. Of course, to the extent that one can rejoice at such an unlawful attack in the public sphere.
Cem Küçük, a well-known journalist close to the government, tweeted with laughter emojis:
“It’s once again clear that Russia and China are useless. They couldn’t save their allies. Their intelligence is useless too.”
“The Eurasianists, Russophiles, and China supporters among us are shocked :))) Their guys in Latin America were taken down.”
Another delighted one was popular economist Özgür Demirtaş, who praised the US in a tweet:
“Those who keep saying ‘the US is falling’ are you still here? I tried explaining this for 10 years but couldn’t. Now I remember those who said the US is doomed, and I can’t help but laugh.
More than 50% of the world’s oil is now under US control. The US has achieved global dominance through: 1. Independent institutions, 2. Attracting the world’s brightest minds, 3. Having the world’s best universities, 4. Granting freedom to all religions, languages, origins, and ideologies, 5. And most importantly, putting science and technology above all beliefs and faiths. There are many lessons for those willing to see. I tried to explain it before, but the Russophiles, Venezuela fans, and North Korea supporters, ‘oppressive’, “communist’ and ‘fascist’ friends didn’t get it. Well, now they see it in practice.”
Demirtaş went further in another post, suggesting a “federal pact” with the US for Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, and Canada:
“If the people of Venezuela drive out the fake Communists through a FREE and democratic election, they could develop a wealthy economy, not as rich as Norway though.
Also, as I have previously written, I believe it would be highly beneficial for both themselves and the world if Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, and Canada form a pact under a federal system with the US.”
14) “Where are the institutions, Daron Acemoğlu?”
After the US attack, the minds of some academics and literate observers in Türkiye turned to Daron Acemoğlu.
Acemoğlu, a Turkish citizen who along with Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics, is known for his work on institutions and their impact on prosperity, and the wealth-creating effects of “inclusive institutions”. His ideas had sparked considerable debate in Türkiye. Critics had accused him of “merely repeating American theories” and “ignoring imperialism and colonialism.”
Following the US intervention, some commentators poked fun at Acemoğlu’s “institutions”. One user wrote: “Daron hodja, hurry up, they’re f*cking the institutions”.
